At JHV, we recognize that social media can be an enjoyable and entertaining way to share your life and opinions with family, friends and co-workers. However, use of social media can result in certain risks and carries with it certain responsibilities.
This policy assists staff in their understanding of responsible and appropriate use of social media. In the rapidly expanding world of electronic communication, social media can mean many things. For purposes of this policy, social media includes all means of communicating or posting information or content of any sort on the Internet.
This includes posting to an employee’s own or someone else’s personal website, blog, journal or diary, social networking or affinity web site, web bulletin board or chat room, whether or not associated or affiliated with JHV, as well as any other form of electronic communication. At no time should agency computers be used for such purposes.
The following basic ground rules apply to staff use of social media and certain activities online:
- Ultimately, staff members are solely responsible for what they post online. Before creating online content, staff members should consider some of the risks and rewards that are involved.
- Any type of conduct that adversely affects a staff member’s job performance, the performance of fellow staff members, or otherwise adversely affects clients or consumers of our services, our community partners and agencies, or JHV’s legitimate business interests may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination.
- In addition, any inappropriate postings that include discriminatory remarks, harassing comments, and threats of violence or similar inappropriate or unlawful conduct will not be tolerated and may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination.
- All staff in using any form of social media should keep in mind the nature of their work for the agency and the confidentiality required. Any staff member found to have violated agency confidentiality policy will face immediate termination.
